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MEMO TO: MAYOR AND CITY COUNC[I�L�(�\J� <br />FROM, CLERK-ADMINISTRATO <br />DATE: DECEMBER 23, 1987 <br />SUBJECT: OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER <br />p},nucl Mee4ircl <br />As I indicated at your December 21st Agenda Session, the <br />FOCUS Newspaper published by POST Publications has been <br />acquired and merged with Gannett Publishing of Portland, <br />Maine. This acquisition and merger has resulted in a change <br />of operations of the FOCUS Newspaper and they are now <br />attempting to obtain designation as the City of Mounds <br />View's Official Newspaper for 1988. <br />Attached please find copies of a letter from POST <br />Publications dated December 10, 1987 outlining their <br />proposal and a letter from the New Brighton Bulletin dated <br />December 15, 1987 outlining their proposal for remaining the <br />City's newspaper. <br />Discussions with Mr. Lee Canning, General Manager of POST <br />Publications reveal that the FOCUS Newspaper can provide no <br />guarantees regarding the levels of coverage provided the <br />City of Mounds View for Council Meetings or any other <br />general press coverage. This type of situation is currently <br />the same position the City faces with the New Brighton <br />Bulletin. As of January 1, 1988, Mr. Harvey Rockwood will <br />become the reporter assigned coverage of the City of Mounds <br />View along with several other cities in the area. Again, <br />the City receives no guarantees regarding the level of <br />coverage Mr. Rockwood will provide the City of Mounds View. <br />The publ+cation dates for the FOCUS are not that different <br />from the New Brighton Bulletin and both serve as a weekly <br />newspaper with delivery to all residents in the City of <br />Mounds View, however, in both cases delivery of the <br />newspapers has been spotty. <br />It would appear that the main difference between the FOCUS <br />proposal and that of the New Brighton Bulletin is with <br />respect to the cost of publishing legal notices. The FOCr!S <br />would charge $4.92 per column inch whereas the Bulletin <br />would charge $5.18 per column inch for the initial <br />publication. Due to the fact that the City of Mounds View, <br />except for unusual situations such as the publication of an <br />entire City Zoning Ordinance expends approximately $1500.00 <br />per year in legal notices. This $.26 inch per column inch <br />cost would not appear to be significant enough to be the <br />sole justification for changing Official Newspapers. <br />In view of the above information and the fact that neither <br />publication will guarantee level of coverage nor delivery of <br />their papers, staff has no recommendation regarding the <br />selection of an Official Newspaper for 1988 between these <br />two proposals. <br />Your direction in this matter would be greatly appreciated. <br />DFP/mjs <br />